


Bad Days

by twistingalaxies



Series: #Marlo [1]
Category: Original Work, Something's Gotta Give - Fandom, my book that i havent finished yet lol
Genre: M/M, This is cute, but i mean its not like its necessary, but its my book that is in progress so youll have no clue whats happening, pls, you can read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8286919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistingalaxies/pseuds/twistingalaxies
Summary: Max has good days. He has days when he’s content to rush around after Arlo; he’ll happily chase him around in a game of tag that Arlo spontaneously started and he’ll laugh until they both fall down breathless in the grass.





	

Arlo is like a whirlwind. He never quite sits still.

And Max can scarcely keep up with him, watching with an affectionate smile on his face as Arlo rushes about, grinning and gushing and here and there and Max is content.

Max has good days. He has days when he’s content to rush around after Arlo; he’ll happily chase him around in a game of tag that Arlo spontaneously started and he’ll laugh until they both fall down breathless in the grass.

He’ll cook what Arlo wants to eat and he’ll hum and he’ll humour Arlo when he wants to dance, and together they’ll dance around the kitchen as they try to make something edible enough for the both of them (but inevitably, Max is far too distracted by the hurricane that goes by the name Arlo and they end up burning the food and ordering a take out).

Max has a lot of good days. More and more, lately, days where he’ll sit and he’ll write and Arlo will lounge on his couch and read, or play a video game on his handheld console or he’ll photograph Max as he writes, or edit thing’s he’s already done.

They’ll chat about everything and nothing and go and grab a coffee, and Max will swing their hands together as their fingers interlock and he’ll kiss Arlo on the cheek just because he can and he’ll revel in the way Arlo’s cheeks heat up and his confidence dissipates and he flushes pink.

He’s happy. A lot. He’ll take Dew and Sadie out along the beach and Arlo will persuade him to build sand castles and Max will give in because Arlo knows that making his eyes wide and innocent is Max’s weakness (but he would have given in anyway) and somewhere along the way they end up adding turrets and a moat and after that they’re having water fights in the ocean until Arlo inevitably swallows some and Max is torn between concern and his laughter as his boyfriend chokes.

Most of the time, he’s just content with whatever Arlo wants to be doing. Because then he’ll want to be doing it too, even if he is a little reluctant at first.

He’ll even endure his grandfather’s teasing because he knows it’s all in good nature and his lips will curl upwards and he’ll bite back the snarky remark on the tip of his tongue that he would have had no problem lashing out a while back.

And indulges Arlo when he wants to photograph Max because Max is apparently Arlo’s ‘muse’ and the very idea is laughable but he lets him, lets Arlo take him out at sunset with the camera down to the beach or in the fields and lets him snap away, lets him take little videos of Max doing the most mundane things ever just because Arlo says he likes to see Max’s smile, wants to capture his laugh and maybe the idea is ridiculous but it makes Max’s insides go all warm and tingly and so he lets him.

And then they’ll come back home and Arlo will text his mother to say that he’s staying with Max and they’ll lounge around doing whatever stupid pointless things it is that they do before retiring to bed and that’s how they fall asleep, pressed gently up against each other.

Max has bad days too.

Max has days when he’ll wake up in tears because he still hasn’t quite conquered those nightmares yet and more often than not, Arlo is there to snuggle into, to be held by and while he likes to be the one to hold Arlo and even if he won’t say it out loud; he needs to be held and comforted and protected too sometimes.

He has days when getting out of bed is a challenge and it’s not even just all the bad things that have happened to him anymore, it’s just life in general and sometimes he won’t answer the phone when Arlo calls.

Arlo gives him space though, he waits and texts again in a bit, some little anecdote or pointless animal fact of sorts designed exactly to put a smile on Max’s face and more often than not it does.

Max doesn’t like the days that when Arlo comes over he’s still in bed. Being in bed at one in the afternoon is bad, Max knows that. But sometimes it’s just so so hard and he wishes he still took his tablets that made it stop but then Arlo is there and he knows that he isn’t judging him, he’s proud of him when he does get out of the bed and until he does, he sits in there with him and together they tell stories, making it up as they go along with a few words at a time.

That hardly ever fails to make Max laugh.

And when it does, well, Arlo is there to hold Max for as long as he needs until he’s okay again. To remind him of why he’s still here.

Max has days when he shouts at Arlo, when he’s a complete idiot and he snaps and snarls and he just wants to be left the hell alone.

He pretends not to see the hurt when he snaps out something snide and normally he apologises immediately but he has those days when he doesn’t. Doesn’t apologise for anything and he should. He really should.

Arlo doesn’t leave until Max tells him to though, and maybe it’s because he knows how hard that is. That deep down, Max doesn’t want to be alone. He wants someone to push away just so that he can stay and Max will have someone to care for him.

Max has days when he over reacts, takes everything that Arlo says the wrong way, especially when it’s said in jest and he shouts and he blames but he’s always sorry afterwards and he doesn’t know why Arlo puts up with it but Arlo says he loves him.

And Max is starting to believe him.

And then there are the days when Max ends up in Arlo’s lap, clutching to his shirt as he sobs and he chokes out words and Arlo listens and rubs his back and holds him. He doesn’t interject, he just lets Max get it all out and when he’s done he feels a lot better.

Max has talked to Arlo about taking the tablets again, and then Arlo is right there to remind him of the good days and the great days when Max is laughing and he’s happy, truly happy and he’s there to tell Max that he doesn’t need his pills anymore.

And Max thinks that Arlo is his new medication.

He has more good days, not necessarily more good than bad, but not necessarily more bad than good either.

Arlo can tell when Max needs him to hold him or to stay away for a little while.

And Max honestly, for the life of him can’t think why Arlo would put himself through this to try and fix someone who is so broken like Max is but Arlo is there, with his black hair shining in the morning light like black most definitely isn’t the darkest colour of them all and he’s reminding Max that he isn’t broken, it’s just that sometimes he has bad days.

And Arlo will be there for each and every one of them.


End file.
